Walk the Line

James Mangold, USA, 2005, 136 minutes

Joaquin Phoenix stars in this Johnny Cash biopic, with Reese Witherspoon putting in an Oscar-winning appearance alongside him as June Carter, his second wife who died only a few months before the Man in Black in 2003. The story – which begins with his childhood in rural Arkansas and climaxes with his now-legendary appearance at Folsom Prison in 1968 – is absorbing in itself, covering his rise to fame in the 1950s, his drug addiction and his falling for June Carter, which in turn led to the breakup of his first marriage. However, hardly surprisingly, it’s the songs that really make this film: Phoenix and Witherspoon really sang every number in the movie, and even released an album to accompany it. That was perhaps a little optimistic; no one could hope to match the talents of a legend like Cash, but the man’s trademark sound is reproduced as well as anyone else could hope for.

Besides the two leads, the film also boasts strong performances from the supporting cast, with Robert Patrick as Cash’s father Ray standing out in particular, albeit for a few all-too brief scenes. Overall it’s a deeply moving portrait of a flawed but hugely talented and influential man.

Review by Owen Kennedy
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2006